(Publisher’s note: The Chelsea City Council had a lengthy agenda at its meeting on March 16. This is the first in a series of stories about what happened at this meeting.)
When the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority meets on Thursday, March 19, there will be a new member at the table.
The Chelsea City Council unanimously appointed Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill, to a seat on the board that expires Dec. 31, 2016, at its meeting on Monday, March 16.
Fairfield, who lives in Manchester, has owned the business at 110 South Main St. for almost three years, she told the City Council, after purchasing it from Trinh Pifer.
“As I told Jason (Lindauer), as a business owner in downtown Chelsea, I have a vested interest in making Chelsea a great place,” Fairfield told the council.
Fairfield, who called herself an avid gardener and birder, said when she was looking to change career paths she found Chelsea to be the perfect spot and that she’s found the people to be very welcoming.
Previously, she was the owner of Aurora Consulting Group and managed all aspects of human resource information systems, implementations, upgrades and customization, according to her application for a spot on the DDA.
She said she thought that the DDA was doing a great job and she was looking forward to being a part of the continued success of the downtown.
In addition to being a business owner, Fairfield is an active member of the Chelsea Area Garden Club, a Michigan Master Gardener volunteer and a committee member for the Manchester Community and School gardens.
Council Member Rod Anderson thanked Fairfield for attending the meeting and answering questions. He then posed a question of his own. How many members of the DDA are city residents and how many are business owners?
City Manager John Hanifan said he’d have to look into it and get back to Anderson.
